Motion Simulators at Disney – Review for Motion Sickness

Raise your hand if you deal with motion sickness! I never used to get nauseous unless I was reading in the car or staring at my phone a lot. Now, as I get older, I hate to say it, but I get a bit nauseous on just about any sort of thrill ride. Don’t even get me STARTED on sea sickness (if you suffer from it like me, be sure to check out my tips if you’re ever looking to combat sea sickness on a cruise!)

Unfortunately for me, a lot of rides at Disney can trigger my motion sickness if I’m not careful. The biggest culprit? Motion simulators. Here’s a breakdown of some of the motion nausea inducing rides at Disney so you can determine if you’re able to ride or not. Remember that each person is different – but hopefully these recommendations will help!

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Smugglers Run – Be Cautious

Smugglers Run reminded me a LOT of Star Tours, but obviously you’re In a smaller space so my nausea wasn’t as bad as it is on Star Tours. However, each ride is different and dependent on the people in their roles hitting their buttons at the correct time. If your pilots are, say…two four year olds, you MIGHT have a bumpy experience. I recommend asking a cast member to assure you’re in a party of adults to lessen the possibility that you’ll have a rough ride. It’s worth sticking out for the nostalgia factor, though!

Mission: SPACE – Take the GREEN Voyage

Mission: SPACE was always my NEVER ride. I’d heard about how sick everyone got when they first rode it so I said ABSOLUTELY NEVER. So when they opened a “green” version, which was less intense than the original “orange” version we finally gave the green version a go, and it wasn’t bad at all! They have since changed the video on the ride as well, so there is less turbulence at the end.

They still have vomit bags on the ride though – JUST in case.

Soarin’ – Ride Without Fear!

Soarin’ is included in this list because it IS a motion simulator of sorts. It’s got a large screen and creates the sensation of flying on a hang glider. However, the movements are so subtle that this shouldn’t set off your motion sickness. The only thing that might make you queasy is if you have a fear of heights and you don’t like your feet dangling.

Flight of Passage – Be Cautious

One of the main appeals of this attraction is how lifelike it is. The seats even move to give the allusion that your banshee is breathing underneath you! Even though there is minimal movement, the screen is VERY close and there is a lot of up and down movements, making you FEEL like there is a lot of change in position. I was definitely feeling it a bit when I got off. Be careful and avoid it right after eating – the long wait in line will likely take care of that for you!

Star Tours – Avoid if Possible

In my opinion, Star Tours is the WORST ride for motion sickness at Disney. There are a bunch of different scenarios that your journey to a galaxy far, far away can take you – but almost all of them are going to shake you around a LOT. I suspect part of this is due to the fact that even with all the refurbishments, the main mechanism of the ride has not changed since the 80s, and motion simulators have gotten much smoother since then. If you’re sensitive to motion simulators, I do NOT recommend doing Star Tours at all, not unless you stock up on anti-nausea meds beforehand!

You’ll notice that I didn’t put any roller coasters on here. I’ve found that roller coasters are EXTREMELY variable for people. Some make me sick, and some don’t. Even the ones that make me a little sick honestly don’t bother me much at all – I’m fine almost as soon as I get off.

Other tips to combat motion sickness:

• Try doing anti-nausea medications about 1 hour before you arrive to the park. I found that the natural Dramamine did NOT work for me. I ended up liking the wristbands a lot better! Additionally you can try the patches you put behind your ears.
• Don’t eat anything 1 hour prior to riding any motion rides. Let your food settle!
• Don’t go on the rides back to back to back. I made this mistake once during Extra Magic Hours with Star Tours. We rode it at least 4 times I think – and my stomach was FEELING it after all that!

There you go – a quick summation of all the motion simulators at Disney World and how nauseous they may make you! Each person is different but hopefully, this will help you determine what steps to take to continue your trip in the most magical place on Earth!

Any other tips to combat motion sickness? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter! You’ll get my FREE WDW Planning Checklist as a thank you when you sign up!